132 
Indian Forest Records. 
[ VOL. II. 
(m) Tl^eecZs.— Grass and weeds .are beneficial in the first stages of 
seedling growth, and should not be cleared away. After the seedling has 
become established and the leading shoot is about to assert itself, it may 
probably assist the seedling if the surrounding growth is removed. This 
may either be done artificially, or, as has been suggested above, by light 
grazing. 
[iv) Fire. — The young shoots are easily destroyed by fire, but in the 
majority of cases a fresh shoot is thrown out from the root column. On 
only one occasion have we seen seedling growth completely killed by a 
fire. In this case the seedlings were from one to three feet in height, and 
were surrounded by a dense growth of long grass. In all probability, the 
fire was so fierce that the intense heat generated, penetrated below the 
ground sufficiently to destroy the root column, and prevent recovery. 
Special care should therefore be taken to adequately fire protect 
seedling growth. 
{v) Insects and fungi. — We have not come across any insect damage 
to young plants. The mature timber, however, often suffers severely 
from the attacks of a Longicorn beetle, which has recently been identi- 
fied by Mr. E. P. Stebbing as Molesthes holosericca, Fabr. The matter 
is of considerable interest, as the same insect appears to attack Sal in the 
United Provinces. 
The following is from Mr. Stebbing’s report on some specimens of the 
larva and perfect insect, collected and forwarded to him by us 
“ This beetle is the chief Longicorn beetle of the Sal in the United 
Provinces Terai, and Oudh Sal belt, where it replaces the 
Hoploceramhijx spinicornis sal pest of the Central Pro- 
vinces and Assam. 
“ This is the first report I have received of this insect infesting 
Harduiclcia hinata. Also I do not find that it has been 
previously reported as present in the Central Provinces.” 
So far, the insect has only been found attacking stumps and felled 
timber. The damage caused by it is often considerable. The larvae 
attack not only the sapwood, but even the extrem.ely hard heartwood. 
The attacks commence as a nrle at the beginning of the rains ; con- 
sequently any timber felled during the dry weather, and not removed 
before the rainy season, is almost sure to suffer. Larvae, in different 
stages of growth, and perfect insects, have been obtained between the 
months of October and December. 
